Bread and Circuses
by luvielle
Summary: "You know, someone once said that society only ever desired two things." Dark chocolate eyes stared back up at her and she couldn't help but take a step back; Anko's gaze felt like she was drowning in a pot. "But, between the two, where do you think we'd fall?"
1. Sweet Red Bean Paste

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN BNHA. just my OC/s**

 **Revised version of the first chapter. :) [not beta-ed, so I apologize for the grammar mistakes.]**

* * *

I. Sweet Red Bean Paste

Red bean paste or red bean jam, also called adzuki bean paste, is a paste made of red beans (also called "adzuki beans"), used in East Asian cuisine.

* * *

I know I shouldn't let my anger control me.

But it's kind of hard when the person I want to punch is right in front of me.

Mom's told me about my temper before, how I need to learn to control it if I ever wanted to go pro. I _have_ been working on it, but I also know it won't really work.

* * *

 _"Why did you do it?"_

* * *

Violence wasn't allowed in the house, that was my mother's rule after she and dad divorced. I couldn't punch Ken _-san_ and words were never my forte, but I still tried anyways.

"You promised not to interfere," I clench a fist; the tableware breaking under the pressure. "You said you'd support us in our decision to enter without your recommendation."

I don't shout when I say my piece, he doesn't deserve the energy.

He doesn't say anything, but the look in his eyes are enough of an answer to me.

I take a step forward, and my brother does too; Ichigo makes a move to stop me.

"Anko," My twin pleads. "Let Ken-san explain."

I stop in my tracks, and the room breathes a small sigh of relief. I know Ichigo will continue to stand between me and our step-dad, so I take a step back.

The anger is still there and I don't want Ichigo to be the one to get hurt.

"He's already explained." I say as I run out of the house.

* * *

 _All men are not created equal._

* * *

 _Anko is four the first time she feels green._

 _It's a month after their fourth birthday, on a rainy day. Their mother is miraculously inside the house, and their father is baking one of his cakes._

 _Ichigo is with her in their makeshift fort inside the living room when it happens._

 _There is a shout, before their parents come running like there's a villain hot on their tails. They come into the room shouting because they are worried something went wrong. Their father loses his grip on his whisk, and their mother laughs in delight when they see; Anko on the other hand hides behind the couch._

 _Because her brother just made a mutant plant._

 _Later, after a visit to the doctor –Ichigo hasn't let go of his plant, he's also taken the liberty to naming it – they find out that Ichigo's Quirk was an enhanced version of their mother's._

 _Madea beams with pride for weeks, and none of their greenery wilt for a month._

 _Anko broods for a few days; her brother enjoying his time with Toots –that's the plant by the way – and learning about photosynthesis with their mother._

 _She does get her Quirk though, on Christmas morning, where she almost drowns Ichigo in sugar in anger._

* * *

 _The twins are fifteen when they take the entrance exam._

 _Anko is the one that drags Ichigo from the station; their roles are reversed when doubt takes hold of the eldest._

 _They almost get disqualified from being late, but Anko pulls through and is able to run fast enough before the doors to the gymnasium close. And then Present Mic takes the stage._

 _A few minutes in and Anko makes a fool of herself when she enthusiastically answers the Pro Hero; Ichigo promised to forever remember it._

 _They don't hesitate when the practical exam begins, destroying the robots with a vine or a shower of hard candy. When a few examinees stop to marvel at the teamwork displayed, various sour candy strips and a few stray vines form nets, protecting them from falling debris._

 _Anko and Ichigo are too invested in the exam; they don't see the confused look Present Mic gives them._

* * *

"Nezu-san, are you certain of this?"

"Maa, they enrolled themselves without the recommendation anyways,"

"Well, I suppo-"

"Besides, wouldn't it be wonderful to see their expressions when they find out about the spots reserved for them when they pass? AhaHaHAHA!"

"Nezu-san…"

* * *

There is a lot of kicking and screaming when dad drives us to school the next day, we even ignore the shadow he usually has.

"I know you two hate this," Mochigome Fudo sighs, a resigned smile sent our way. "But at least you can prove yourselves more with this?"

A look is shared between Ichigo and I before my brother speaks.

"You're horrible at cheering people up, Oyaji."

"I'm not old," He retorts, and a dark look is sent to Henna-san – she's the hero in-charge of dad today – when she doesn't bother to hide her laugh.

I huff but accept the awkward encouragement from him, Ichigo smiles his bright smile before he drags me to our exam sight. Present Mic waits for us, as well as a woman with black hair and a really skimpy attire.

A few minutes after our practical begins, a grin appears on my face when my punch lands on Ichigo's face.

* * *

 _'I can't believe we're not in the same class,'_ I silently cry to myself on the first day of high school. _'I can't believe they didn't put us in the same class!'_

We knew of course, that we wouldn't be in the same class, but it still hurts. Ichigo and I have been together since we were babies, always. Even in elementary and middle school, we were always in the same class. And because I wasn't exactly a social butterfly, Ichigo would always be the one to push or pull me into interacting.

 _'Maybe that's why?'_ I think to myself.

Maybe U. A. took that into account when they assigned the classes; which would also mean that U. A. wants me to start my first year in high school without a familiar face, forcing me to interact with random people. Because how would one become a Pro-Hero without knowing how to interact with others.

 _'He looks like a blueberry,'_ I muse to myself, thinking about the first person to enter the classroom. _'And that one looks like a walking grape.'_

I was with my mom the night before, something I wasn't keen on doing after she remarried. She was very happy when she heard her twins got accepted, in the Department of Heroes no less. The whole house stayed awake, celebrating. It was enough to make me forget about starting classes alone.

And then Ken _-san_ happened, scolding us for not attending the practical exam for the recommended students on the day of the entrance exam.

I sighed as my thoughts spiraled back to him, failing to notice a familiar face taking a seat to my right.

 _'Honestly,'_ I rant to myself drumming my fingers on my desk, catching the attention of my seatmate. _'Who does he think he is? I mean, sure, he's kind of part of the family now, he married mom and lives with her and –'_

"Youna Anko?"

Startled, I almost jump out of my seat. When that doesn't happen, I turn to my right, only to find one Todoroki Shouto looking at me with clear confusion in his eyes.

"S-Sho-Todoroki-san?" Hopefully he doesn't take note of the slip up.

Heterochromatic eyes stare back at me before their owner speaks. "I thought you were going to enroll in Support."

"Ichigo convinced me," I tell him, knowing he is aware of the redhead. "And it's Mochigome Anko now."

A strange look appears in Todoroki's eyes. "Mochigome?"

"Yes." Is my tense reply, and thankfully our conversation ends.

Not too long after, a blonde boy in the front row explodes and the blueberry is there to reprimand.

* * *

There's a commotion by the door before our homeroom teacher arrives.

Apparently he's a yellow caterpillar-man with bags in his eyes.

I can see Sh-Todoroki glance my way when I shudder at the thought of butterflies.

The caterpillar-man, who later introduces himself as Aizawa Shouta, steps out of his yellow sleeping bag and instructs everyone to change into the gym uniform. He leaves after giving directions to the field.

"A fitness test?" I ask myself as I make my way out of the classroom.

"Probably," Sho-Todoroki says as he walks past me.

 _'Aahh, I really need to stop calling him by his first name.'_ I thought as I follow the rest of the girls to the changing rooms. _'I also need to stop saying things aloud.'_

* * *

 _'I was right,'_ I sigh when he informs us of the Quirk Apprehension Test we'll be doing this morning. _'I really don't want to do this on the first day, but that's what you'd expect from U. A.'_

Physically, I was able; I just thought of physical education as a hassle. As someone training to become a hero I knew I wouldn't be able to escape this, then again I only escaped the strenuous activities in middle school because I'd always faint.

"Softball pitch, standing long jump, fifty meter dash, grip strength," I already feel faint with each test Aizawa-sensei lists, and my hands find themselves gripping a green haired girl's hand. "Sustained sideways jump, upper body exercise, and seated toe-touch. You should be familiar with these tests as they're not that different from the ones I'm sure you took in middle school. The only real difference is the fact that your Quirk is required in these tests."

Having had enough, I lean my head on the shorter girl's shoulder. She doesn't do much except pat my head and gives a soft 'there, there'.

Aizawa-sensei then gives a softball to the angry blonde from this morning and tells him to pitch it as far away as he can using his Quirk, the blonde does exactly that, with an explosion. The bad feeling I'm getting doesn't go away, and only intensifies when my new classmates start making comments about how it would be so much fun to finally be able to use their Quirks outside of their homes. Yay.

"Fun, huh?" Yep, bad feeling is getting bigger. "You have three years to become a hero, and you're planning on wasting time to have fun? Alright then, new rule."

My grip tightens on girl I'd gone to for comfort.

"Those who rank last will be punished by expulsion."

 _'I guess I really have to do this, huh?'_

* * *

Our first test is the fifty meter dash; one the blueberry takes to like fish to water. The girl I was with finishes a few seconds after him.

"5.58 seconds, huh? That's amazing!" I tell her when she came my way. "I'm Mochigome Anko, by the way. Sorry for clinging unto you before."

"Thank you," She smiles. "I'm Asui Tsuyu, please call me Tsu-chan."

"He was really in his element," I tell her. "The blueberry you raced against."

Tsuyu-chan hums as the act I just did finally hits me; I can't believe I actually said that out loud.

"His hair color does match a blueberry's,"

"Kill me now,"

"Mochigome," Aizawa-sensei calls, a tall girl already waiting at the start of the track. The look he gave me as I came over made me want to crawl into a hole and just stay there.

I gave him a sheepish smile before I took my position, beside me, the tall girl looked to be preparing something with how hard she was concentrating on her stomach. A minute later, her stomach glowed and out came a pair of rollerblades.

"So, anything is allowed so long as it's with your Quirk?"

Aizawa-sensei gave me a tired look. "Anything with your Quirk."

I nodded in thanks before turning to facing the front.

"Go."

* * *

I stretch as I follow everyone into the field. The previous tests had drained me, so I wasn't all that sure about this one, which just so happened to be softball pitching. I had gotten 6.05 seconds for the fifty meter dash, which made me happy. But the others scores I got following the first test made it clear I needed work on both my Quirk and physical abilities; the hours I spent in the nurse's office didn't really help.

"Are you alright, Mochi-chan?" Tsuyu-chan asked as we watched the brunette girl get a score of infinity.

"I'm fine," I give slightly breathless laugh. "It's just my Quirk taking its toll; it relies on my sugar levels you see."

She nods, and I reach into my uniform's pocket. "You want one?"

"What's this?" She asks, taking the small ball I offered her.

"I made them with my Quirk after the first test," I answered. "Aizawa-sensei said that so long as we use our Quirks, anything goes; so I made them to keep my sugar levels high. Ah, but you might not be able to take them…"

 **"DEEKKKUUU!"**

With Aizawa-sensei distracted with the angry blonde, Tsuyu-chan pops the treat I made into her mouth, a small 'oops' is said a second later. We both giggle a little, like there's a secret only the two of us know of, before proceeding with the rest of the tests.

* * *

The sun was already setting when I made my way home.

I had forced Ichigo to go ahead before mom called someone to fetch us, giving an excuse about visiting the library for an assignment. It was clear that he knew I wanted to head to the station on my own, so thankfully, he didn't call me out on my horrible lie.

Nothing much happened after I stepped out of the train, though I did encounter some Pro-Heroes on patrol. I waved to Henna-san when I saw her as I neared the apartment my dad and I lived in.

I silently entered our small home, before making my way into the kitchen. My dad was the only one in the room, which was and oddity nowadays; he always has a pro watching him.

"What's for dinner, Tou-chan?" My dad screams, jumping and almost wasting the spaghetti he was making. There's a door banging from the direction of our bathroom, loud footsteps too, before a man in a white hero costume enters the kitchen.

"Fudo-san!"

"A-ah, I'm okay Tensei-kun," Dad tells him as he rights the pot of spaghetti on the stove. "My daughter just startled me."

"Oh,"

"Hi, I'm Anko," I give him a bow. "Do you have a younger brother studying in U. A."

Surprised at the question, he slowly nods. "I do. My name is Iida Tensei, by the way. I'm in-charge of your father today."

I give him a small smile before taking the plates from the cabinets. "Are you staying for dinner?" I ask, reaching for the tableware in the drawers.

"No, I'm afraid I have patrol tonight." I hum, reaching for a tupperware and disposable utensils for him.

Tensei-san tries to reject the spaghetti and warm tea we give him, but dad's pretty convincing so he accepts. After he leaves with a promise to repay us, dad and I sit down for dinner.

"How was school?" I almost choke on dinner when he asks. Of course I knew that would be the topic tonight. It was my first in a hero school.

"I almost got expelled." I told him, laughing into my juice when it was his turn to choke.

"What?!"

"Don't worry," I laugh. "It was a ruse by our sensei to make us work harder, though I'm pretty sure he would have done it anyway."

My dad sighs, and gives me a small, sad smile. "Did anyone give you trouble today?"

I reach out a hand, one that he takes with his calloused ones. "A few people recognized my name, but its fine. I'm fine, Tou-chan." I give his hands a pat, before returning to my dinner, he does the same after. Later, when my father is asleep, I stare at the news clippings I have pinned to a corkboard of his achievements back in his day.

I know how much he worries about me taking up his surname, I would too if I actually cared about it. But my father's worries are unfounded, at least I think so. Because even if I carried the surname of a retired villain, I will not let it stop me from reaching my goal.

* * *

 **I finally finished revising, phew.**

 **Thank you to _curlystruggle_ for the review. I apologize for the confusions my story caused, but I'll do my best not to repeat this mistake.**

 ****Also, uhm, about Ichigo and Anko taking the practical test for those enrolling in the Hero Course, and not the one for recommended students, it was because they had enrolled beforehand. Their step-dad kinda stepped in and re-enrolled them with his recommendation.**

 **So, they didn't know about it.**

 **It's kinda confusing, if you think about it.**

 **((But say, Ichigo and Anko enrolled on a Monday, and then Ken-san (their step-dad) re-enrolled them on a Thursday with his recommendation, then coupled with the in-between days with all other applicants, the school'd system would be confused too. Cause then there'd be two of them on the records... that can happen...))**

 **I'll figure something out. For now, let's just it was because of Nezu-san's schemes.**


	2. Fruit Salad

**DISCLAIMER: I ONLY OWN MY OCs.**

 **[not beta-ed]**

* * *

II: Fruit Salad

* * *

Fruit salad is a dish consisting of various kinds of fruit, sometimes served in a liquid, either in their own juices or syrup.

* * *

 _Youna Madea was twenty-nine when she first met Mochigome Fudo._

 _She was working as a chemist in Musutafu, in a company that manufactured cleaning supplies ranging from personal soap and shampoos to dishwashing soaps and air fresheners._

 _Youna Madea was thirty-three when she married Mochigome Fudo, nine months later, their twins were born._

 _Those eight years were the best of her life since moving to Japan._

 _And then Fudo gets incarcerated._

 _She should have seen it coming; she shouldn't have ignored the signs._

 _If she had known about her husband's job – if it could have been called that – then she could have spared herself from the heartbreak._

 _Youna Madea was forty when she divorced Mochigome Fudo._

 _At the age of forty-eight, she can't help but feel helpless as she watches her eldest become more and more like the man she first loved._

* * *

"Kaa-chan wants to see you," Ichigo tells me during lunch on the second day of school, his mouth still full of the greens he desperately needs.

"Ken will be there," I tell him, spearing a sushi roll from my bento. "I'd rather not, if it means Kaa-chan will worry again."

From his seat across me, Ichigo sighs. "Nee-"

"No."

Pouting, my younger twin continues to eat the lunch I prepared for him. A minute later, a disgusted look appears on his face.

"This is broccoli." He whines, making gagging noises. His classmate looks ready to rush him to Recovery Girl when he pretends to faint.

"It's good for you," I reason. "Besides, you left me all alone yesterday."

His gagging has stopped, but has started a monologue about his will while his hands wandered.

"Would you stop," I swat at a hand that tried to take a few slices of my chocolate banana bread. "You know you can't eat sugar without suffering from stomachaches."

Ichigo glares with no real heat in them. "You're just greedy."

"I don't even like chocolate!"

* * *

Classes officially started on the second day, but I was busy fighting the drowsiness that always came every morning so I didn't really pay attention during classes. It was one of the side effects that I hated about my Quirk.

Math was especially horrible, because I tried to take down notes while half asleep; one page was full of weird lines that couldn't even pass as numbers.

I'm pretty sure I distracted Yaoyorozu-san with all my head banging.

Lunch came afterwards, and while majority of the class headed for the cafeteria, I went to look for my brother. I found him after asking around – the experience was very nerve-wracking without my personal speaker – a kind redhead gave me directions to their class, which thankfully wasn't that far from where I wandered. Class 1-B also had a door as big as ours, which seemed convenient now that I really thought about it.

Blood King was still inside when I knocked, and was alright with me entering the classroom since he was only there to retrieve some papers; plus it was lunch, so what's the harm?

A few people glanced my way but didn't make a move to do anything else; I decided then and there that my brother's class was considerably tamer than mine. Of course, Ichigo had to disrupt whatever peace there was when he shouted out "Nee-chan, I made sushi with strawberry, banana, mango, and some kiwi!"

I couldn't do anything but glare at him with a red face.

After their homeroom adviser left – he left with an amused smile and a part of me died again – I went straight to my brother and practically threw his lunch in his face. It was saved, so no food was spilled. Thank god for that.

* * *

"I can't believe you!"

"Hahaha! What were you expecting?"

"For you to not embarrass me?!"

"Hey, this good. Slimy, but good; what is it?"

"Okra. And stop ignoring me!"

* * *

We talked over lunch after he introduced me to his classmates, and I promised I'd eat with him on the following days. He tried to get me to stop feeding him broccoli, but I'd already asked his newfound friends to help me with his diet; the both of us were pescetarians, so fish and veggies only.

I left his classroom feeling somewhat content, happy because his classmates cared enough to ask about what he should and should not eat. Our mom was the same, though she started eating meat after marrying Ken. Ichigo still wouldn't be able to have that diet unless he had full control over his carnivorous plants like Toots.

Ironically, I could drink blood but not red meat.

Silently laughing to myself, I swiftly made my way to the classroom. Everyone's probably in the cafeteria anyways, so yay, a few minutes more for me to sleep.

* * *

Apparently, I wasn't the only one who didn't eat in the cafeteria.

"Bonjour!"

It was the weird sparkly blonde – not Kaminari, he was the sparky one – I think his name's Aoyama? I remember him from yesterday, when he fell in the middle of the fifty meter race with Ashido.

"H-hello," I hesitantly greeted him as I made my way to my desk. He was one of the more unique ones in the class, with the way he spoke and acted.

Observing him as he ate was something I found educational; he always acted like he was at the top of the world, but he seemed pretty normal; compared to Yaoyorozu who I knew definitely came from a rich family. I really shouldn't judge, but watching people was something I unconsciously did.

' _Congrats, Tou-chan. You've successfully raised a daughter with stalker-ish tendencies._ '

He also seemed to like cheese, which was practically the only thing I saw him eat for lunch, but I was also out a few minutes ago, and it was technically still the start of the school year, so maybe not.

' _Urgh. Why am I like this?!_ '

Finally deciding that I couldn't really spend the rest of my lunch break watching a new classmate eat, I fold my arms on my desk before resting my head atop them. "Sleep…" I murmur as I get as comfortable as I can.

' _I'll take the time to recharge my energy, that way I won't fall asleep in the afternoon classes._ '

* * *

"I AM HERE!"

I'd swear I didn't jump, but I'd be lying.

"… through the door, like a normal person!"

Honestly though, why couldn't All Might enter the room like a normal person? Then again, I shouldn't have fallen asleep considering it was still class hours, even if it was lunch break. So while I didn't like how I was roused from my sleep, the surprise entrance of the number one hero was something I reluctantly dubbed as a blessing.

After All Might's introduction as our Hero Basic Training teacher, he went to explain our activity for the day; which just so happened to be Combat Training. Joy, and here I was hoping for normal classes.

Everyone else cheered at the thought of finally being able to use their Quirks, it was evident with how restless they were in their seats. The cheers they let out when the odd colored walls slid out to reveal a few panels with our hero gear was deafening, I had to cover my whole head as if it could stop the pounding in my head from escalating.

' _I really hate the side effects._ ' I thought as I followed the rest of the class to the changing rooms after getting my case.

* * *

Sighing in content, I mentally praised the Support Department for a job well-done with my hero costume. They seemed to get a bit creative with a few parts, but I'm satisfied with the end result nonetheless. ; especially the scarf and hoodie.

"You look happy, Mochi-chan."

"Hmm? Yeah, the Support Department really outdid themselves with my costume," I grinned, almost jumping in joy. "See, the tightness is just right, and the skort is really comfortable and the scarf! Plus the med-kit and pouch are in the right places!" The way Tsuyu and the others smile at me kind of reminds me of how my mom does; soft and somewhat fond.

"Sorry, I was rambling." I tell them, burying myself in my polka-dotted scarf and raising the hood of my top.

"No, no, it's fine!" Uraraka exclaims, her hands waving wildly as she reassures me. "At least you're comfortable, I kind of regret not making myself clear with the materials used." She pouts, blushing as at how tight her costume ended up being.

"Ehh, but you look fine though." The rest of the girls nod in agreement.

"Well, compared to Hagakure-san and I," Yaoyorozu starts, adjusting the yellow belt-skirt she has around her hips. "You're all wearing more than us both." Which was true, with Hagakure's invisibility and Yaoyorozu's creation Quirk, they have no choice but to wear less.

"I guess so…" Everyone giggles as Uraraka pouts by her locker.

Scanning myself one more time, I make sure the costume is worn comfortably and not look like I just came out of a garbage can. My sleeveless top was red, with a mandarin collar and a hoodie that was a few shades darker; almost black. It was especially tight around my torso and chest, the hidden zipper ending just above my navel with the rest of it falling around my knees. I wore a pastel pink skort underneath, with a brown belt and a pair of knee-high boots; on my belt were two pouches and the med-kit. The red polka-dot black scarf around my neck was a way to ease my headaches as well as a shield for my identity; in case the hoodie fell.

' _This is the best!_ ' I thought, the smell of ginger practically drowning me. ' _I love that I thought of this._ '

The shutting of lockers pulls me out of my thoughts, seems like everyone's done changing. "Ready?" Ashido and Hagakure give an enthusiastic cheer as the two practically lead us to where the boys are.

' _Maybe today won't be so bad._ '

* * *

You know that feeling you get when you say something and end up regretting it? Yeah, that's what I'm feeling now.

After the whole class arrived at Ground Beta, All Might proceeded with his explanation of the combat training. We were all supposed to draw lots to find a pair, depending on what All Might draws, one pair will act as the villains while the other will act as the heroes.

I got the role as a villain, but that wasn't the issue.

"Who the fuck are you?"

It had to be the angry blonde.

"Mochigome Anko," I introduce myself. "Though you're probably going to forget my name anyways."

Something changes in his expression, so I move closer to the 'nuclear weapon' in hopes of evading him. "Hah?! What'd you say, you lazy bitch?!"

"Nothing…" He 'tsks' in annoyance, but ignores me.

Hopefully I survive today; Tou-chan's making fruit salad for dinner so it'd be nice if the universe lets me off with just a few scratches maybe? Oh my god, I really hope I don't get killed by the angry hedgehog.

* * *

 **Yay, an update.**

 **don't really know what else to say. hope you all enjoy the chapter :))**


End file.
